Audrey Bentz
Dan and Frances Hartford. Photo: Audrey Bentz
You’ve probably enjoyed a delicious cinnamon roll or piece of cake in the past years, provided by Dan (the Baker Man) and Frances Hartford who now live on 2 Oda Knight Road, off Struck Road.
Dan began life in the area of Seaside, Oregon. His parents were both bakers and his mother raised horses as well. Frances was the oldest of ten children born and raised near Jasper, Indiana, in a large settlement of German Catholics. Her family lived primarily “off the land” with their farm, raising all their food from their garden and fish from the lake. But after being caregiver for her nine siblings and being in charge of the chickens, plus milking the cows, Frances exercised her rebellious nature by completing high school and then migrating with a sister to Canada to get away from the farm. After spending some time there, they headed to Texas where she worked as a nurse’s aide, while enjoying a social life with lots of dancing! But eventually they returned to Indiana where she took care of 20,000 chickens and worked as a waitress. Then one day she headed West in her car on a solo trip across the United States. She survived with a little cash, a cat, a gun and a fishing pole. She slept in her car at night, and when stopping at a gas station, she would just buy 25 cents worth of gas at a time. She made it to Eugene, Oregon, where she worked for a time, but eventually she came to Portland. She volunteered to help in a Catholic youth program where there was a handsome young man, also working as a volunteer with Catholic youth, who “looked really nice in his cashmere suit from Hong Kong.” His name was Dan Hartford.
Fourteen years later they married and had two sons, Dan Hartford III and Dale Hartford. They spent 25 years in Alaska, primarily in Anchorage but to Fairbanks in the winter! Dan was a head baker for the Safeway store in Anchorage. But then he had a bad experience with carbon monoxide poisoning, which he assumed caused him to lose his senses of taste and smell and develop serious allergies, especially to wheat flour. So Dan switched into a floor covering trade, and then to superintendent for a house building company. That led him into building schools in the Eskimo areas across the northern part of Alaska. He said he flew about a million miles on Wien Airlines, later realizing that the toilets built in the schools they built were damaged because the Eskimoes had no idea how to use them! Frances worked in a greenhouse in Anchorage during that time and they enjoyed moose hunting and salmon fishing.
They then moved back to the Lower 48. After returning home, they lived in Lake Oswego, and later operated a counter top business in The Dalles. They bought High Prairie property in 1997. They built their house, moving in 2003. Dan still loves to bake, and finds he can tolerate wheat flour if he just does occasional baking—which he dearly loves to do, providing many tasty cakes, rolls, and pies for High Prairie events. He still uses his dad’s rolling pin and recipes that date back to the 1800’s. Frances is reliving her youth by raising a two acre garden and fruit orchard with over 100 fruit and nut trees from all over the world. She feels people should always plant Heirlooms from their youth to pass on to next generations. They raise Silver Lace Wyandotte chickens which originate from 1880, brought to Iceland in 9th century.
Dan’s son Dan III and wife Erin also have a home on Oda Knight Road. Grandpa and Grandma Hartford help care for grandchildren Rebecca, Ella Jean, Katherine and Patrick Kennedy. Congratulations are due to Dan and Frances, as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on March 5! And yes, they are still active in the Catholic church in Goldendale! Both Dan and Frances feel that High Prairie is a great place to live and they appreciate all the friendly people.